While watching a TV show, I was not prepared to answer when my son asked me what is the power of positive thinking. I wanted him to thoroughly comprehend what it is. So, I asked him to wait for a couple of days. Later on, I prepared the following answer for him.

It is quite common to hear people say: "Think positive!", to someone who feels down and worried. Most people do not take these words seriously, as they do not know what it really means. How many of us really ever stop and think what the power of positive thinking really is?

Positive thinking means admitting into the mind thoughts that are conductive to growth, expansion and success. It is the expectation of good and favorable results. A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy and health. It expects a successful outcome of every situation and action. Whatever the mind expects, it finds.

Not everyone accepts or believes in positive thinking. Some consider the subject as nonsense, and others make fun of the people who believe and accept it. The people who are conversant with this subject may not know how to use it effectively in order to get good results.

People had been trying to run a mile within four minutes since the days of the ancient Greeks. Greeks used lions to chase the runners, thinking that it would make them run faster. They also tried tiger’s milk. Nothing worked. So they decided it was impossible. It was called the impossible Four-minute mile. And for thousands of years everyone believed it. It was physiologically impossible for a human being to run a mile in four minutes. Our bone structure was all wrong. Wind resistance was too great. Humans had inadequate lung power. There were so many reasons.

Then one day, Roger Bannister, the man with tremendous positive attitude, broke the four-minute mile. One single human being proved that the doctors, the trainers, the athletes, and the millions of people before him who tried and failed, were all wrong. And miracle of miracles, the year after Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile, 37 other runners broke the four-minute mile. And the year after that, 300 runners broke the four-minute mile.

What happened? There were no great breakthroughs in training. Human bone structure did not change suddenly. But human attitude did. The runners simply knew and believed that it can be done.

When the attitude is positive we entertain pleasant feelings and constructive images, and see through the mind's eye what we really want to happen. This brings brightness to the eyes, more energy and happiness. The whole being emits good will, happiness and success. Even the health is affected in a beneficial way. We walk tall and we speak in more powerful voice. Our body language shows the way we feel inside.

On the other hand negative thoughts, words and attitude bring up negative and unhappy moods and actions. When the mind is negative, negative energy is released into the body, which causes more unhappiness and negativity. This is the way to failure, frustration and disappointment.

When we genuinely believe that something can be done, it usually is. But only thinking positive does not result in positive outcomes. You still have to work at it. However, thinking positive, genuinely believing in positive outcomes is winning half and most important part of the battle.

Henry Ford captured the power of positive thinking in this beautiful statement: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.”

I hope than parents can use some of what I told my kid in helping their kids discover this profound power.